What is sound insulation testing?
Sound insulation testing, also known as pre-completion testing (PCT), measures the airborne and impact sound insulation performance of separating walls and floors between dwellings, rooms for residential purposes and school spaces. It is required by Building Regulations Part E to demonstrate that the constructions as built achieve the minimum performance standards.
Airborne tests use a loudspeaker generating noise in one room and measure the level reduction in the adjacent room. Impact tests use a standardised tapping machine on the floor and measure the sound in the room below.
When is sound insulation testing required?
Testing is required for:
- New-build houses and flats
- Conversions and change of use creating new dwellings
- Rooms for residential purposes such as student accommodation, hotels and care homes
- School buildings under BB93
- Discharge of planning conditions and BREEAM Hea 05 credits
New-build houses and flats constructed using registered Robust Details do not require testing, but all conversions must be tested. Building control determines the number of tests based on the number and type of dwellings, typically one set per ten units of each construction type.
What are the Part E performance standards?
For new-build separating walls and floors between dwellings, Part E requires a minimum airborne sound insulation of DnT,w + Ctr 45 dB and, for floors, a maximum impact sound level of L'nT,w 62 dB. For conversions, the standards are 43 dB airborne and 64 dB impact. Rooms for residential purposes have the same standards as dwellings. Schools are assessed against the BB93 criteria for sound insulation, indoor ambient noise and reverberation.
When should sound insulation testing be carried out?
Testing should be undertaken when the separating walls and floors are complete, including all finishes, skirtings and sealants, windows and external doors are fitted and glazed, internal doors are hung, electrical sockets and services penetrations are finished, and rooms are empty of furniture and 240V power is available. Testing before these conditions are met risks unrepresentative results and retesting.
What happens if a sound test fails?
If a test fails, the cause must be identified, remedial works undertaken and the construction retested. Common causes include poor sealing at junctions, flanking transmission through continuous floors or walls, gaps in dry lining, incorrect resilient layers and direct fixings bridging isolated constructions. Remedial works can be disruptive, so acoustic design review and site inspection before testing are strongly recommended.
What accreditation is required for sound testing?
Building control bodies accept test results from UKAS-accredited organisations or from testers registered with the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) Registration Scheme or the Sound Insulation Testing Register (SITR). Testing follows BS EN ISO 16283 procedures and results are rated in accordance with BS EN ISO 717. A test certificate is issued for submission to building control.
Why choose Syntegra Group for sound insulation testing?
Syntegra Group provides accredited pre-completion sound insulation testing for houses, flats, conversions, student accommodation, hotels, care homes and schools across the UK, with results accepted by all building control bodies. Our testers are experienced acoustic consultants who can diagnose the cause of any failure and advise on remedial measures.
Because we also provide acoustic design consultancy, we can review separating constructions and details before construction, inspect during the build and help clients achieve compliance first time.
